Continuing cooling a female that may be gravid?

[WingedWolfPsion]

My large female waited until spring last year before locking up about 3 times with a male in the course of a couple weeks--and then she stopped locking up, and a month later, laid her clutch.

This year, she's locked up with our lesser about 3 times, and has stopped...should I re-warm her and forget about the cooling cycle, and assume we'll have eggs in December, or should I continue cooling?

What would all of you do, if you thought a female was 'caught', but you were right at the beginning of the cooling cycle? Would continuing cooling delay her ovulation, or would it interfere with the development of her clutch? Would it improve fertility or decrease it? Anyone know?

[rishnack]

have you checked fer for follicles, is she showin any signs of being gravid?

[Adam_Wysocki]

It's not uncommon for females to lock up at the very beginning of breeding season and then not do anything for a while ... these locks alone do not usually end up with the female becoming gravid ... In my collection, I usually see a series of locks right when I start pairing in the fall ... the a decline in activity through the next few weeks to a month or so (sometimes longer) ... and then increased copulations in January and February.

If she ovulates, I would definitely warm her up immediately .... but unless I could feel very large follicles (or eggs) I personally would just keep breeding her.

Hope this helps.

-adam

[WingedWolfPsion]

Thanks, Adam--that helps!

(I haven't got the trick of palpating for follicles yet--she is hugging her water bowl. No sign of ovulation).

[Adam_Wysocki]

If she's hugging the water bowl, she's still developing follicles ... keep breeding her for sure.

Gravid girls seek heat.

Hope this helps.

-adam

[WingedWolfPsion]

Yep, sure does! Thanks. ^_^